


A Boy and His Mare

by GreaserGirl



Series: Bonanza - The Cartwright Adventures Continued [1]
Category: Bonanza
Genre: Animals, Brotherly Bonding, Father-Son Relationship, Horses, Western
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 12:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12254193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreaserGirl/pseuds/GreaserGirl
Summary: Little Joe was excited for his beloved mare, Cochise, to have her first baby, but after a fire breaks out in the barn and the young foal is stillborn, Cochise is becomes easily spooked and nervous around even her master. Will Little Joe be able to repair the bond between he and his beloved horse, or could this be the end of the dynamic duo?





	A Boy and His Mare

**Author's Note:**

> So, in the episode of Bonanza called "Marie My Love" where Joe falls off of Cochise, I swear Ben calls Cochise a she so I'm assuming Cochise was supposed to be a female horse and not a male horse with this. I don't care what gender the horse was supposed to be during the show, this is just a fanfiction I came up with when I was thinking Cochise was a she. Please if you finish reading let me know what you think of it!! I appreciate feedback as it helps me to write better!!

   The day was finally here. After waiting one long year, Little Joe Cartwright's beloved mare, Cochise, was about to give birth to her foal. "Atta girl Cooch." Joe said fondly, carefully patting the mare on the neck. She was in labor and she seemed to be doing alright, but Joe refused to leave her side. His brothers were out working the fields while he tended his horse. Their father Ben Cartwright had gone into Virginia City to deal with some business and wouldn't be back all day. "Just you wait until that colt is born, it'll be the prettiest darn colt anyone ever did see." Joe told his horse, sure the mare would give birth to a male and too stubborn to simply say foal. Cochise whinnied in response, letting out a pained snort as she felt another contraction. "I bet your thirsty girl, I'll go get you some fresh water alright?" Joe said, rushing out of the barn. He tried to be as fast as he could be, not wanting to let that mare out of his sight for a second. He was only gone for a moment, but one moment was all it took for things to go horribly wrong.

* * *

 

   Little Joe was gone for just a moment, long enough to get his horse some water and stop to get a drink himself, but when he came back he saw a horrible sight. The barn was filled with smoke pouring out of it, and he could see flames inside. "Cochise!" he cried, dropping the bucket and racing in the barn, not even stopping for a moment to consider his own safety. Cochise was whinnying terrified as the hot flames roared around her. She jumped up on her hind legs, stomping them into the ground as she paced around, looking for a way out. "Cooch!" Joe shouted over the roar, running over to his horse. The smoke from the flames filled his lungs, causing him to choke, and the heat of the flames caused him to be covered in sweat. "Easy girl, easy!" Joe called soothingly when he reached his horse. He quickly opened her stall, chasing her out of the burning barn.  _I gotta try and get this fire out!_ Joe thought, worried about how long and hard his family would have to work to replace everything. Just as he was about to get to work, he saw a dark figure moving in the barn. "Who's there?" he called, searching for whoever it was. He could hardly see past all the smoke, and breathing was nearly impossible as the flames roared higher. When Joe finally spotted the man, he attempted to give chase, but was overcome by the heat and smoke in the barn, causing him to collapse and slip into darkness. 

* * *

 

    Adam and Hoss had just finished their rounds in the pastures and were coming in from work when they saw the smoke and flames. "What on Earth could that be?" Adam asked, wondering why there would be such a big fire.

   "I dunno but it sure doesn't look good." Hoss said. Adam nodded in agreement and they both quickly rode towards the trouble. They realized just how bad things were when they saw Cochise running towards them, without Little Joe. "Cochise! But where's Little Joe?" Hoss asked, bewildered.

   "He must have gone in to help her! Hoss, you take care of Cochise, I'll go look for Little Joe." Adam called, jumping off his horse and racing into the barn. "Joe?" he called, coughing as the smoke choked him. He quickly checked Cochise's stall, shaking his head when he didn't see his brother. "Joe!" he called again, searching desperately. He was about to leave when he heard a groan and coughing coming from the other side of the barn. He rushed over, finding his youngest brother lying in a heap, his face covered in soot and sweat. "Joe!" he cried, rushing over and quickly helping his brother up. He grunted with the effort of trying to carry him, realizing he should've sent Hoss in after Joe instead, since he was the only one of them that could carry Joe by himself.

   "Adam?" Joe asked, his voice weak.

   "Joe, are you alright? Can you stand?" Adam asked, quickly helping his brother up when he nodded. He helped Joe out of the barn, just as flames started to spread up to the roof.

   "Adam....we gotta....save the barn. We...gotta put that fire out." Joe gasped, but Adam didn't stop.

   "No Joe, it's too late for that. We need to get out out of here." Adam said, pulling Joe out of the flame filled barn and into the open air. He brought Joe up to the house, telling one of the farmhands to rush to Virginia City and fetch their pa and the doctor. "You'll be alright Little Joe, just hang in there." Adam whispered to his brother as he brought him up to his room and put him in bed. 

* * *

    Ben Cartwright had just finished up his business meeting and was about to head home when one of his ranch hands came riding up. "Andy? What's wrong?" Ben asked, surprised to see how fast the man had come riding in to the city.

   "Something's happened back at the Ponderosa. A fire broke out in the barn, Little Joe got caught in it. Adam sent me to fetch you and the doctor." Andy, the ranch hand, explained. Ben's eyes grew wide with surprise and he stared for a moment.

   "Alright, you fetch the doctor. I'm going home." Ben told him, riding off as fast as he could. 

* * *

   It was only a few minutes after Ben arrived back at the Ponderosa that the doctor arrived. Adam and Ben waited anxiously for the doctor to give his assessment on how the youngest member of their family was doing. Hoss would have been there himself, but he knew Cochise couldn't be left alone and he didn't think Joe would want her to be left with one of the farm hands. Adam was standing by the fireplace, leaning with one arm against it, staring down at the ground, his face showing he was deep in thought. Ben sat on the couch, his arms resting on his knees, hands folded together resting in front of his face, the way he often sat whenever he was deep in thought or worried about something. When the doctor came down, both Cartwright men immediately stopped thinking and were at attention. "How is he Paul?" Ben asked, jumping to his feet.

   "Well, he's got a slight fever after being in that fire, and all that smoke he inhaled is taking a toll on him." Doc Martin said. Ben's face grew grim with worry, but Paul quickly put his hand on Ben's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, he has no burns and that fever should be down in no time. He's lucky his brothers showed up when they did. If Adam hadn't found him and pulled him out of the fire Joe probably would've been seriously injured. You should be proud of your boys." he told him. Ben sighed in relief, looking over at Adam and noticing the same relief on his face. He smiled, nodding as the doctor told him he should be proud.

   "Oh I am Paul. Proud of all three of them." he told him. Doc Martin smiled at Ben.

   "Just give Joe plenty of time to rest and make sure you do what you can to help him cool down, he'll be just fine." he said before heading out. Hoss came rushing in just moments after the doctor left, a serious look on his face.

   "Hey Hoss, no need to worry. You're brother's going to be just fine." Ben said, walking over to his middle son and placing his hands on his shoulders.

   "I'm mighty glad ta hear that Pa, but there's somethin' I gotta tell ya." Hoss said, shaking his head. Adam and Ben both stopped smiling and looked at him, concern filling their faces once again.

   "What is it Hoss? Did something happen to Joe's horse?" Adam asked, remembering how the mare had come running towards them, frightened.

   "No, Cochise is alright, but..." Hoss paused, shaking his head once more.

   "What? What is it son?" Ben asked, not liking how upset Hoss was.

   "It's the foal Pa." Hoss said. 

* * *

 

   Little Joe woke up to the feeling of someone gently mopping his face with a cool wet cloth. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing his father sitting by the bed. "Pa?" he whispered, his throat dry from the fire.

   "Joe, are you alright? How do you feel?" Ben asked, relieved now that his son was awake.

   "I'm alright Pa." Joe said, a little confused by what was going on. He felt so tired but he couldn't remember what happened.  _I was getting water for Cochise and then the barn was on fire, I must've passed out._ Joe thought. He was still and silent for a moment, but sat up quickly as he realized he knew what had happened. "The fire! Cochise!" he cried, trying to get up. He groaned as his body protested at the sudden movement, and Ben quickly put his hands on Joe's shoulders.

   "Easy son, easy. It's alright now, the fire's out. Cochise is alright. Everyone's safe." Ben told him, and Joe relaxed, laying back down. Hoss and Adam both rushed into the room, having heard the ruckus.

   "Pa, is everything alright?" Hoss asked, grinning as he saw Joe looking at them with a smile on his face. "Well hey there little brother. How you feelin'?" Hoss asked as he and Adam walked into the room, both of them smiling wide.

   "I'm alright." Joe said, grinning back.

   "What the heck were you thinkin' running into a burning barn and then staying there?" Adam asked, shaking his head.

   "I had to get Cochise." Joe told him, frowning when his brothers and father all looked at each other, the same grim look on each of their faces. "What is it? What's wrong?" Joe asked, looking at the three of them, suddenly alert again. "What happened? Is it Cochise? Is she hurt?" he asked again, and this time Hoss shook his head.

   "No Joe, Cochise is alright." Ben told him, glancing over at Hoss and Adam. Joe relaxed a bit, but was alert again when he noticed his father and brothers weren't smiling.

   "What?" Joe asked again, fear beginning to build inside him.

   "Joe, Cochise had her foal. A little colt, just like you thought." Hoss said, and Joe grinned, thinking that was all.

   "Really? That's great! I knew it!" Joe said, but his excitement quickly died when he saw his brother shake his head. "What? Hoss what is it? What happened?" Joe asked, but Hoss couldn't say. Adam sighed, knowing Joe wasn't going to take the news well.

   "Joe, the colt didn't make it." Adam said.

   Joe froze, staring at his brother. "What?" he whispered, suddenly feeling cold.

   "Cochise was so stressed, it was hours before the baby came out. It wasn't breathing. I'm sorry Joe, it's gone." Adam said, turning away as his brother pushed himself up, a look of complete shock on his face.

   "I'm so sorry son. I know you did your best for Cochise. Sometimes these things just happen." Ben said, putting a hand on Joe's shoulder. Joe looked away, fighting back tears. He had been looking forward to that colt, he'd already loved it even before it was born. Now it was gone, and for some reason it felt like it was his fault.

   "I never shoulda left Cochise. I should've stayed by her side." Joe whispered.

   "Joe, there was nothing you could've done. These things just happen, there's no telling what would've happened even if you hadn't left." Ben said, but Joe shook his head. "Joseph..." Ben started, but Joe stopped him, sighing.

   "Just...just leave me alone for a minute, would ya Pa?" Joe asked, keeping his head turned as he wiped away tears. Ben sighed and nodded, knowing Joe needed time to think about what had happened.

   "Alright. I'll come check on you later." Ben promised, getting up and leaving Joe alone in his room.

   Adam and Hoss both watched Little Joe for a minute before they too left the room. Once Joe was completely alone, he stood up, walking over to the window and leaning against the wall by it. He rested his arm up against it, shaking his head as he thought about what his brother told him. He finally began to cry, sitting down in the chair in his room and putting his head in his hands. "Oh Cooch, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." he whispered, his heart breaking into a million pieces. He'd almost rather have been shot than to feel the way he felt right then. 

   Later that night, Ben, Adam, and Hoss were all sitting down for supper when Joe came out of his room, not looking at all like his usual smiling self. The three men looked up from their dinner, standing as Joe walked downstairs.

   "Hey little brother, how do you feel?" Hoss asked, watching Joe as if he expected him to fall apart at any moment.

   "I'm fine Hoss." Joe said, his voice quiet and unemotional. Hop Sing, their Chinese cook, headed out from the kitchen when he heard Little Joe.

   "Ah, Little Joe, you finally come down!" Hop Sing said, smiling at him as usual. "I make your favorite for suppah, just for you mistah Joe. Come eat!" Hop Sing was smiling and waving Joe over, wanting him to eat something.

   "No thanks Hop Sing, I'm not very hungry." Joe said, shaking his head. Ben and Hoss stared at Joe, surprised he'd turn down his favorite food, but Adam knew it must be because of that colt. "Pa, can I go check on Cochise?" Joe whispered, looking at his father for permission.

   "Alright son, you go ahead and see your horse. Then come join us for supper." Ben said, nodding his head in approval. Joe walked out of the house and the three remaining Cartwrights sat in silence.

   "I wonder what's got into the little fella." Hoss said.

   "Well it can't have been easy for him, hearing about that colt." Adam said, and Ben and Hoss both looked down, knowing Adam was right.

   "Poor kid, I reckon he was just as excited for that little colt to be born as that horse was." Hoss said, and all three Cartwrights were silent once more. After a moment they resumed eating their supper, but Little Joe never joined them, not returning to the house until later that night. 

* * *

 

   It had been several days since the barn had caught fire and Cochise lost her colt. Little Joe was just starting to smile and joke around like he used to and things were slowly getting back to normal on the Ponderosa. Joe and his brother Adam had been sent to check the fence and mend any broken posts while Hoss helped with restoring the barn after the fire.

   "Sure is a nice day for a ride, huh older brother?" Joe said to Adam, grinning at him.

   Adam couldn't help but smile and laugh back at how Joe was acting more like his normal self and how he was making it sound like they weren't out there to do anything but ride their horses. "It certainly is younger brother." he said back. "But don't forget we're not out here to have fun, we're out here to check the fence and mend any broken posts." he reminded him.

   "I know. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little bit of fun." Joe said, suddenly speeding Cochise up.

   "Joe!" Adam cried, shaking his head. Joe just let out a yell and kept going, laughing his head off as he rode too fast to actually check the fence. Adam sighed but grinned as he gave his horse the command to speed up as well, trying to catch his younger brother. Joe looked behind to see Adam far away, laughing joyfully as Cochise sped on.

   "Atta girl! You're way faster than my stuck-up brother and his old horse!" he told Cochise. Of course, he was only joking about Adam being stuck-up and his horse being old, because he loved his brother and he knew his brother's horse wasn't that old, he was simply filled with pride for his own horse. After a bit, Joe slowed Cochise down, knowing they had actual work to do and he shouldn't push Cochise too far. "Easy girl, we better wait up for my older brother, or else he'll really give it to me." he told her. He laughed as Adam caught up, shaking his head at his brother's face.

   "I don't know what you're laughing at! You know we gotta go all the way back and check to make sure we didn't miss anything." Adam said, a little cross with his brother.

   "Oh come on, we can always do it on the way back." Joe said, grinning at him. Adam sighed, and Joe laughed, knowing what his brother was thinking. "Okay, okay, I know that's not the point." he said. Adam sighed again but smiled at Joe.

   "Well come on then, let's finish up. I'm gettin' hungry." he said, and the two of them continued their work. 

   After another hour of work, Cochise suddenly started acting up, stopping in her tracks and snorting. "Cooch? What's wrong?" Joe asked, wondering why his horse had stopped. Cochise snorted again and stamped the ground, a sure sign she was agitated. Adam noticed Joe had stopped and quickly turned around, looking at his brother.

   "Joe! Is everything alright?" he called.

   "Yeah, Cochise is just actin' up." Joe called back. Cochise had been having moments like this every day since the fire, but for some reason she seemed worse now. "Cochise, come on girl. Let's go." Joe said softly, nudging his mare to try and get her to move forward. Cochise whinnied and stamped the ground again, moving back instead of forward and shaking her head. "Cochise! Come on now, we got work to do!" Joe said, getting a little frustrated. He couldn't see what could be agitating her so much, and that bothered him.  _I don't understand. Sure she's been acting up lately but usually she has a reason for it._ he thought, confused. Suddenly Cochise let out a high pitched whinny, rearing up on her hind legs. Joe was caught by surprise and fell off, crying out as he hit the ground.

   "Joe!" Adam called, turning his horse and riding back towards him and Cochise. Adam quickly jumped off of Sport, rushing to Joe's side when he got there. "Joe, are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

   "Yeah. I don't know what got into her. Normally there's somethin' that causes her to act like this but there was nothing around." Joe said, worried about his horse.

   "Maybe she saw something you didn't." Adam suggested.

   "Maybe." Joe agreed. Adam offered Joe a hand to help him up, which he took, grunting as he stood.

   "You sure you're alright? You sound like an old man." Adam teased, and Joe lightly punched his shoulder.

   "I'm fine. You try falling off a horse onto your ass, see how you feel." Joe said, and Adam laughed. Of course, all the Cartwrights had fallen off of a horse at some time in their lives, but Joe and Adam were simply teasing each other. "Come on, let's finish up and head on back. I'm starvin' and I'm sure Hop Sing has something good cooking for supper." Joe said, grinning at his brother. 

* * *

 

   The next day Ben gave the boys the day off, knowing it had been a while since any of them had time to do anything other than work on the barn or elsewhere. Joe had spent a few days working with Cochise after the fire just to get her to calm down and not be too skittish to ride. "I think I'll go out for a ride with Cochise, see how she does today." Joe told his family.

   "Alright, just don't work her too hard. You be careful. If she starts acting up too much bring her home." Ben said, not wanting his son to get injured.

   "Don't worry Pa, I will." Joe said, finishing his breakfast and heading for the stables. There were a couple of ranch hands hanging out, getting their own horses ready for work.

   "Hey Joe! Going to work with that horse again today huh?" one of the ranch hands called to him as he walked up.

   "Hey Harvey. Yeah, I'm gonna take her out for a ride, see how she does." he told him.

   "She's out in the corral. She was makin' a huge fuss when we showed up today so we decided to let her out." Harvey told Joe.

   "Thanks Harv. Say, why don't you come with me? Cochise always did like you." Joe said, grinning at Harvey. Harvey had been working for them for a long time, and he was the closest one to Joe's age, though Joe still saw him as a mentor.

   "Well I can't join you on your ride, but I'll certainly come with ya to get her." Harvey said, and Joe nodded, grinning as he headed out to the corral.

   "Hey Cochise!" Joe called to his horse as he walked out. She came trotting up to him when he called, but stopped suddenly as he and Harvey got close, snorting and stamping the ground again. "Cooch? What's wrong girl?" Joe asked, confused by her sudden agitation. Cochise whinnied and snorted again, refusing to get a step closer to Joe and Harvey. "Cochise, it's alright." Joe said softly, slowly approaching his horse. Harvey was watching from behind him, not daring to get an inch closer to Cochise. Joe continued his approach and Cochise let out a high pitched whinny, rearing back and dropping to the ground again. "Whoa! Whoa! Easy girl!" Joe cried, reaching his hands up in an attempt to get a hold of her reigns. Cochise shook her head and reared up again, accidentally knocking Joe to the ground.

   "JOSEPH!" Ben cried when he saw his son fall, rushing towards him with his two older sons right behind him.

   "Cochise!" Joe cried, trying to sit up, but Cochise had reared again, and in her panic she hit Joe hard in the head, disorienting him and making any chance of escape nearly impossible. Just as Cochise was rearing up again, Ben, Hoss, and Adam reached Joe, Adam jumping over the fence to the corral and dragging Joe out of harms way, while Hoss got control of Cochise.

   "Joseph? Joseph!" Ben called softly to his son as Adam held him. Joe's head was spinning and he couldn't seem to hear anything. Sounds were muffled, and his vision was blurred. He let out a soft groan and looked over at where Cochise was, seeing someone was trying to calm her down. He wanted to call out to whoever was touching his horse, tell them to let her alone and get away, but he couldn't seem to get any words out. He grunted softly again, his body going limp as the world went dark. 

   Ben was shocked when he saw Cochise knock over Joe, even more so when Cochise hit him over the head. He was glad when Adam rushed in and pulled Joe away from the horse, but he couldn't tell if his son was dead or alive, and that scared him. "Joseph? Joseph!" he called, sighing in relief when his son groaned softly. He saw Joe open his eyes, looking over when he realized Joe was watching Hoss deal with Cochise. "Hoss! Let go of that horse and let her get away!" Ben called to his middle son. Hoss quickly did as he was told and Cochise ran off to the other side of the corral, rushing out the open gate and into the field. "Go fetch the doctor!" Ben ordered one of the ranch hands, who quickly mounted their horse and took off.

   "Is Little Joe alright Pa?" Hoss asked, worried about how still his brother was.

   "He's still breathing. That's good enough for now. Let's get him up to the house." Ben said, carefully carrying Joe with the help of his two other sons. 

* * *

   It was hours later when Joe woke up, groaning at the pain in his head. "Joseph? How are you feeling son?" Ben asked, placing a hand on Joe's shoulder.

   "Like I got kicked in the head by a horse." Joe whispered, smiling at his own slight joke. Ben chuckled softly and sighed.

   "Looks like he'll be just fine Pa. If he can joke around like that." Adam said.

   "Yes, I think you're right." Ben agreed, and Joe grinned at them. He grimaced as his head throbbed and put a hand up, frowning as he felt the bandage.

   "Pa, how's Cochise?" he asked softly.

   "She's alright. She's out in the fields right now, though we've built a fence around her so she can't get out on her own. Joe frowned at this and sat up quickly, immediately regretting the decision as he felt a sharp pain in his head and the room began to spin. "Now you just lie still." Ben said firmly, forcing Joe to lie back.

   "What'd you do that to my horse for?" Joe demanded, upset that they'd decided to keep his horse separated from the rest of them.

   "Nobody know's what happened Little Joe, we couldn't risk someone else getting hurt and she wouldn't git back in that stall no matter what we tried." Hoss told him. "What happened out there?" Hoss asked, and Joe sighed, staring down at his hands.

   "I don't know. It was almost as if....as if she was scared of me." Joe whispered.

   "Scared of you?" Adam asked, his father and brother's faces reflecting his own shocked look.

   "It's because I didn't protect her. She must know it's my fault." Joe said, and the three older Cartwrights now looked at him in confusion. "I left her out there alone. I should've called someone to help me. Hop Sing was around, i could've called and asked him to get some water." Ben was now looking at his son with concern. He knew Joe was upset about losing the colt, but he'd never expected him to blame himself.

   "Now Joe, you can hardly blame yourself for something that was an accident." Ben said, and Joe looked up, suddenly remembering why he hadn't left the barn with Cochise.

   "No Pa, it wasn't an accident." he said, cursing himself for forgetting until now.

   "What do you mean?" Ben asked, staring at him.

   "I saw someone Pa. That day in the barn. I couldn't see their face but I know there was someone else in there." Joe said.

   "Why didn't you say anythin' before now?" Hoss asked but Joe shook his head.

   "Because I didn't remember, and I guess when I did remember I thought it was just my mind playin' tricks. But now that I remember it, I'm sure there was someone else in there." Joe told him.

   "Well, it's in the past now Joe. Not much anyone can do." Ben said after a moment of silence. "You can't blame yourself for how Cochise is acting, or for what happened then. You just need to rest up now, and get better. Then you can start working with Cochise again." he told him, but Joe shook his head.

   "No Pa, I can't." Joe said, and again all three men stared at him. "I'm not workin' with Cochise anymore. Not if I'm the reason she's acting this way." The older Cartwrights looked at each other, then back at Joe, surprised by how serious he was.

   "Now, Little Joe, don't you think you're bein' a bit-" Hoss started but Joe cut him off.

   "Don't you try to talk me out of it! I'm serious about this! I'm just hurting her more by bein' around her!" Joe snapped. "Get out! All of you!" he barked, turning his back to them. All three Cartwrights stared at him for a minute, but eventually they left the room. Adam lingered a second longer, worried about the look he'd seen on Joe's face.  _Oh Joe. It hurts you just as much to stay away as you think it hurts her to be near._ he thought as he left the room. 

* * *

   It had been weeks since Joe had made his decision to stop working with Cochise, and things weren't the same around the Ponderosa. Joe's mood worsened every day, and every time he saw Cochise he seemed to become even more bitter. Ben was filled with concern for his youngest son, who hardly ever smiled or laughed at all anymore. He didn't even joke around with Adam and Hoss, and he was always the first person up lately. Joe was eating less too, and starting to lose weight more rapidly due to all the chores he was doing to keep himself distracted. Hoss had finally become fed up with Little Joe's attitude when Joe once again refused to eat. "Dadburnit Joe!" Hoss growled, slamming his fist down on the table. Joe just looked at him, no longer pushing his food around on his plate.

   "Hoss!" Ben warned, not wanting Hoss to fight with Joe.

   "No Pa! I've had about all I can take of Joe's attitude lately." Hoss said, surprising Ben. Of all his sons, Hoss tended to talk back the least. "Look at him! He's skinnier than a stick and he'll waste away to nothin' he keeps goin' like this. If he's so upset about that dadburned horse, then he better just go and deal with it himself." Hoss growled. Joe resumed pushing his food around on his plate.

   "Hoss, that is enough." Ben said, but Hoss shook his head.

   "If Joe's not gonna deal with his horse anymore then why don't we just sell her off?" Hoss said. He didn't really mean it, but his worry for Joe was making him lose his temper. Joe froze at that and stared at Hoss.

   "You don't mean that." he said.

   "Well why shouldn't we? She's your horse and you can't ride her, and none of the rest of us can go near her. If we can't sell her then we might as well shoot her!" Hoss told him. Joe slammed his fist down this time, standing up.

   "Don't you talk about Cochise like that! Don't you ever say that again!" he shouted, leaving the table without asking to be excused. He stormed out of the house, slamming the door as he left.

   "Hoss! You went too far!" Ben said. Hoss had started eating again and was doing his best to ignore his father.

   "Pa's right Hoss. You shouldn't have said that to Little Joe. It won't help anything." Adam told him. "Although Hoss did have a good point Pa. If Joe won't try to get back on that horse, then we may have to sell it. No point in keeping around an animal that can't do any work." he said.

   "Adam!" Ben said, surprised.

   "Look Pa, I get that you are worried about Little Joe, but he's not a boy anymore. If he won't act like a man and deal with his problems then he cain't complain if one of us does it for him, whether he likes it or not." Hoss said.

   "He may not be a little boy but he's your brother. I expect you to treat him better than that." Ben said.

   "With the way he's been treatin' us lately Pa? You cain't hardly blame me for losin' my temper." Hoss shot back.

   "That's no excuse Hoss!" Ben snapped.

   "It's a better excuse than me bein' too stubborn to even try and take care of my own horse the same way Little Joe has!" Hoss shouted. He stood up, excusing himself from the table and heading upstairs.

   "Do any of my sons ever listen to me?" Ben muttered angrily.

   "Did you forget I'm still here Pa?" Adam asked.

   "I'm sorry Adam. It's just, those brothers of yours." Ben said and sighed.

   "Look, why don't you just finish supper. I'll go out and have a talk with Little Joe." Adam said, leaving when Ben nodded. 

   Adam found Little Joe out by the fields, watching Cochise from afar. Cochise was whinnying and snorting, trotting around in circles and then pacing back in forth in the area she'd been fenced in at. "She looks pretty upset out there, all by herself." he said, startling Joe.

   "What do you want?" Joe asked, pretending he hadn't been watching Cochise.

   "To talk." Adam said, leaning against the fence.

   "What do we have to talk about huh? You here to tell me that I shouldn't have yelled at Hoss and that I should know he didn't mean it?" Joe spat. Adam was silent. "Well forget it older brother. He meant what he said and if he didn't then he can come tell me himself!" Joe growled, starting to walk away.

   "Joe, have you even tried to approach Cochise since that day?" Adam asked, and Joe stopped.

   "No. I told you I was done." Joe said.

   "Yeah, I know, but if that were true you wouldn't be so upset." Adam said, holding up a hand when Joe looked like he was about to protest. "Look, if you just try approaching her again, then maybe you wouldn't be so upset. Maybe you were wrong and it wasn't you. But Joe, that horse is really upset still, and I think it's because she misses you." he told him. Joe bit his lip, unsure of what to do. "If you try, you've got nothing to lose if you're right. But if you're wrong, then not trying will make you lose that horse." Adam added, and Joe sighed, turning around.

   "Alright. I guess I'll give it a go." Joe said, and Adam grinned.

   "Atta boy." Adam said, patting his brother on the back.

   "Come on, let's go see that fool horse of mine." Joe said, heading into the fields towards his horse. Cochise had calmed down by then and looked up when she heard Joe calling out as he walked towards her. Just as Joe was getting close, Harvey showed up, watching from the shadows. Joe walked towards Cochise who was staring at him. "Hey Cochise, remember me?" he asked, almost as if his horse could have forgotten him. He got closer, his heart filling with hope as Cochise remained calm with each step. He reached his hand out to touch her, but suddenly she whinnied and reared up again, pounding her hooves against the fence. Joe backed up, stopping and staring at his horse who had grown more agitated. "You see? I was right!" Joe snapped, turning to look at Adam. Adam was shocked. He hadn't believed it was Joe, and he couldn't understand why Cochise had been fine until that point.

   "Joe-" Adam started but Joe cut him off.

   "Great idea Adam, now I know my horse hates me! You happy now?" Joe growled, glaring at his brother before walking past him. Adam sighed, looking over at Cochise who seemed to be whinnying out of pain now, watching as Joe left.  _It just can't be Joe. But who else could it be?_ Adam thought as he walked away. 

* * *

 

   After that incident, Joe was worse than he had been before. He no longer ate his lunch, and he hardly touched his supper. Because he was the first one up, nobody could tell if he was eating breakfast or not, but they could tell he was getting worse. Joe was working in the fields that day, and Adam decided to try and get his brother to eat some lunch. "Hey Joe! Hop Sing sent me over with some lunch! Why don't you take a break and come join me?" he called to his brother as he rode up. Joe continued working, not answering his brother. "Joe." Adam said again, watching his brother who was covered in sweat.

   "I'm not done here. Just leave me alone." Joe said, though he was looking weaker by the moment.

   "Joe, you really should take a break." Adam told him, concerned by his state.

   "I said I'm not hungry Adam!" Joe snapped. Just then he heard shouts, and a horse was galloping full speed towards them. It took Joe a minute to realize it was  _his_ horse, Cochise, who was racing towards them. "Cochise." he whispered, frowning as his vision started getting blurry. Cochise whinnied as some of the men finally caught up to her and lassoed a rope around her neck. He watched as Cochise frantically tried to break loose, her cries piercing his heart as if he'd been shot. "Stop it! Get away from her!" Joe cried, racing towards the men. Cochise cried out again, whinnying frantically and straining to get loose, trying desperately to reach Joe.

   "Joe!" Adam called, watching his brother as he raced towards the men. The ranch hands who were trying to get Cochise stopped and stared at Joe, confused. "I said back off my horse!" Joe shouted again, but his legs were starting to get weak, and his vision was worsening. Adam noticed him staggering and swore, nudging Sport to get him to head for his brother. Cochise let out another high pitched whinny, and just as Joe got close, he collapsed.

   "Cochise....get away from....my horse." he whispered before he was out like a light.

   "Joe!" Adam called, kicking his horse to get him to go faster. Cochise had stopped struggling when Joe collapsed and just stood there, snorting, watching Joe. Adam reached Joe and jumped off Sport, racing to his brother. "Get that horse out of here!" he ordered the men, but Cochise began struggling again as they tried leading the mare away.

   "Cochise." Joe moaned, attempting to move even though he was unconscious.

   "Wait!" Adam called, looking over at the men. "Just leave her here, I'll bring her back up to the house with me along with my brother here." he told them. The men looked at him for a minute, as if questioning his orders. "Do it now!" Adam said, letting them know he wasn't going to have his authority challenged. Once the men left, he got up and helped Joe into his saddle, getting on behind him and holding him with one arm and leading his horse with the other. "Alright Cochise, you be good now." Adam said, reaching over and grabbing the lead, tying Cochise to his horse and heading straight for home. 

* * *

   When Adam got home, Hoss and his father were having a talk, apologizing to each other for the fight they'd had several days before. They both looked up when Adam arrived, rushing over when they saw Joe. "Little Joe!" Hoss cried, guilt filling him as he remembered he'd never apologized for what he said about Cochise.

   "He's alright, but he's worn himself out." Adam said, getting down off his horse and helping Joe. "Get him in the house will you?" he asked his brother, who nodded and lead the youngest Cartwright into the house.

   "What's that horse doing here? I thought I told those men to catch her and put her back." Ben asked.

   "She wouldn't leave Joe's side Pa. I don't think Joe's the one who's been causing her to act out." Adam told him. Ben was surprised, especially after he'd seen what Cochise had done to Joe.

   "Are you sure?" he asked.

   "Pa, Cochise was running up to us. She was heading straight for Joe when the men caught up to her. And I think Joe knows it too, even if he won't admit it. He didn't want them touching her." Adam explained.

   "Well if it's not Joe, then who, or what could it be?" Ben asked.

   "I've got no idea, but I'm going to try and find out." Adam said. He knew now that Cochise wasn't trying to hurt Joe, and he wasn't going to let Joe lose that horse if he could help it. "Let's just keep her up by the house tonight, alright?" Adam suggested, leaving Cochise by the water and hay they had outside before heading in the house. Ben followed, part of him hoping what his son had just told him wasn't true.  _God help us if it is, because that means Joe was right, and someone was trying to hurt that horse._ he thought, then froze as an even worse thought came to mind.  _Or maybe, it was Little Joe they were after._ Little did he know that he was right on both accounts. 

* * *

   By the time the doctor had arrived, Joe had a fever and was sweating and shivering. He kept calling out for Cochise, and each time he called out it was followed with an apology. When Doc Martin tried to check Joe, Joe began thrashing about, groaning and whimpering. He kept talking about the fire, calling for his horse, calling for help, screaming about how he was burning. "Ben! Get in here!" Doc Martin called, unable to get Joe to calm down. Ben had left the room when Paul Martin requested it, but he came rushing up now, calling his oldest son Adam to help hold Joe while the doctor gave him some medicine.

   "Cochise! The barn....it's burning!" Joe cried, gripping his father's arm with one hand. "Pa! Adam! Hoss! Someone! Help!" he cried.

   "Easy Joe, easy. You're alright boy. It's alright." Ben said calmly, trying to get his son to calm down. "You listen to me now, listen! Stop this!" he said firmly after his attempts to calm Joe failed. Finally he seemed to get through, Joe calmed down and stopped thrashing about, though he still moaned and called out for his horse. "Doc?" Ben asked, worried about how upset his son had been.

   "He's pretty sick. My guess is he stayed out in the sun too long with not enough to eat. His body is worn out." Doc Martin said. "Keep cool compresses on him, and make sure he stays in bed. Give him this medicine, he should be alright with a few days rest." he added.

   "Alright, thank you." Ben said, breathing a sigh of relief.

   "I'll come back and check on him tomorrow, but if his condition gets any worse, send for me." Doc Martin said as he left. Hoss was waiting anxiously to see how his little brother was doing.

   "Pa? Adam? How's Little Joe?" he asked when his father and brother walked out.

   "He'll be alright Hoss, we'll just have to keep an eye on him and make sure he stays in bed." Ben said. Hoss sighed in relief, glad to hear his brother would be alright.

   "I'll watch after him for a bit Pa, you go get some rest." Adam said.

   "No, no. I should stay with him. You get some rest Adam, you're the one who brought him all the way back here and dealt with his fool horse." Ben said, turning and heading back into Joe's room to let him know he wouldn't discuss it any further. 

   Joe's fever broke later that night, and he was awake early the next morning. His vision was still cloudy when he opened his eyes, but he was thinking more clearly now. He turned and saw someone was sitting with him, and after blinking for a bit, he realized it was Adam. "Adam." he said softly, surprised to see his brother asleep in his room. "Adam." he said a little louder, lightly shaking his brother's knee. Adam woke up then, smiling at his little brother.

   "Hey Joe, how ya feelin'?" Adam asked, relieved to see Joe was already awake.

   "I'm alright. Just a little tired." Joe said, wondering why his brother was in his room. "But Adam, why are you in here?" he asked, frowning when Adam looked confused.

   "Don't you remember?" Adam asked, surprised.

   "Remember what?" Joe asked, trying to sit up. He groaned as his head spun, frowning as Adam forced him to lie back down.

   "Joe, you collapsed yesterday after working in the fields. After you saw Cochise get caught by the farm hands. You had a fever and you were delirious." Adam explained, and Joe shook his head.

   "I was?" Joe asked.

   "You think I would make this up?" Adam asked, shaking his head.

   "No, i guess not. But I don't remember a thing. I mean, I remember you ridin' up and asking me to eat lunch with you, but then nothing." Joe said, shaking his head. Ben and Hoss had heard the two voices talking, and they walked into the room then.

   "Hey little brother. Boy, you had us mighty worried last night." Hoss said, smiling at Joe.

   "So I've heard. Was I really that sick?" Joe asked, and Ben and Hoss both looked surprised.

   "Well yeah, you were." Hoss said, dumbfounded.

   "It was certainly a shock when Adam came riding up holding onto you and that crazy horse of yours." Ben agreed. At the mention of his horse, Joe looked up at his father and brothers, biting his lip.

   "Is she alright? Cochise?" he asked, worried about her.

   "She's fine, she's outside actually. She didn't want to leave her side. I had to bring her back with me." Adam said. Joe stared at him, surprised. "Joe, i don't think it was you she was upset at." Adam said, and Joe stared at him.

   "But she was always looking at me." Joe said.

   "Are you sure? Or was she looking at something behind you?" Adam asked. "I...." Joe started, but frowned, shaking his head.

   "I don't know." he said, groaning as his head suddenly pounded again.

   "Why don't you rest up son? Your brothers and I have some work to do. Hop Sing is downstairs so you call him if you need anything, alright?" Ben said, worried Joe's fever would come back if he kept being upset.

   "Sure Pa." Joe said, laying back down again.  _Could it really be true? Cochise, if it's not me you're scared of, then who, or what, could it be?_   Joe thought as his brothers and father left. 

* * *

   After a few days the doctor said Joe could get out of bed, but he still shouldn't do any hard work. Joe had almost protested, saying he was fine, but the doctor warned him that if he tried to do any work he'd give him medicine to make him stay in bed. "You heard the doctor son, you stay in the house." Ben had told him when Joe tried to convince him he would be fine to work at breakfast the next day.

   "But Pa, I gotta see Cochise. I just need to see for myself that it wasn't me she was scared of." Joe protested.

   "You'll have plenty of time for that after you've completely recovered. If you ignore the doctors orders you'll likely make yourself sick again." Ben told him, and Joe sighed, admitting defeat.

   "Don't worry Little Joe, Cochise will still be here. She won't let any of us take her anywhere. Seems she wants to see you too." Hoss informed him, and that seemed to cheer Joe up a bit.

   He watched as his brothers and father left for work that day, sighing as he sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace. "I feel just fine. I don't see why the doctor has to be so strict." Joe muttered, though he had yet to regain his full strength and he knew it. He still wasn't eating a lot, though he was eating more than he had been before, and his body was recovering after being neglected for so long. He fell asleep for a few hours, but awoke when he heard a loud neighing outside, like the sound of a horse in distress.  _My horse!_ he thought, and immediately jumped up off the couch. He grabbed his pistol from where it was hanging and headed for the door, frowning as he found it was still hard to walk straight. He carefully opened the door, peeking out to see what was going on. He froze when he saw a man approaching Cochise, watching as he grabbed the reigns. Cochise tried to rear back, but the man yanked her head down so fast she nearly fell on her knees. Joe immediately jumped into action, calling out to the man and aiming his gun. "Get away from my horse!" he barked, keeping his eye on the man as he approached. The man paused, cursing before turning around, a look of surprise on his face. Joe froze when he saw who it was, recognizing the only person he found he could look up to around the Ponderosa aside from his older brothers and father. "Harvey?" he said, bewildered. "Harv, what are you doin'?" he asked, confused. He put away his pistol, watching the only friend he had besides his brother with caution.

   "Joe. I thought you were stuck in bed." Harvey said, trying to avoid the subject. Cochise was whinnying and snorting now, stamping the ground and trying to pull away from Harvey.

   "Harvey, what are you doin' to my horse?" Joe asked again, his voice taking on a tone of suspicion.

   "I was just, going to return her to the stables. Your pa asked me to." Harvey lied, but Joe shook his head.

   "Pa knows Cochise won't go anywhere near the stables. Not since that fire in the barn." Joe said, his hand slowly inching towards his gun, wishing he hadn't holstered it.

   "Well, yeah, but you see, he doesn't want a dangerous horse up by the house. No where else to put her." Harvey tried again, but Joe wasn't falling for it.

   "Harv, that day, where were you?" Joe asked, watching Harvey's face for a reaction.

   "What are you talkin' about Joe?" Harvey asked, glancing at Joe's hand. "Joe, what's this all about?" he asked.

   "The day the fire broke out in the barn, I know I saw someone." Joe said, and Harvey began to visibly appear nervous.

   "What are you tryin' to say boy?" Harvey asked. He'd never called Joe boy before, and it stung a little, but not nearly as much as what Joe was piecing together. "Look, if you're tryin' to say I'm the one you saw that day in the barn you're crazy." Harvey said, and Joe stopped, staring at him. "Joe?" Harvey asked, eyeing the boy.

   "Harvey, I never said anything about seein' someone." Joe said, his voice soft and low.

   "Well, you didn't, but everyone knows it. Your Pa said-" Harvey started but Joe cut him off.

   "Pa and my brothers told nobody about what happened! I asked them not to tell anyone!" Joe hissed. "How did you know Harvey?  _How. Did. You. Know?_ " Joe demanded again, and Harvey put his hands up.

   "Joe, think about it." Harvey said, but Joe shook his head.

   "Answer me. Was it you? Did you do it?" Joe asked, and Harvey sighed, shaking his head.

   "You already know the answer to that, don't you boy?" Harvey asked. Joe's eyes flashed with grief. He'd been hoping he was wrong and his suspicions weren't correct.

   "It was you." he whispered, and Harvey nodded. "I'm taking you in Harv." Joe said, and Harvey sighed.

   "I was afraid you'd say that." Harvey said, looking behind Joe as if someone were sneaking up. Joe normally wouldn't have fallen for it, but in his state of mind, he didn't think about how it was a trick. He turned to see what Harvey was looking at, and Harvey took the opportunity to rush Joe, shoving him to the ground. Joe gasped at the impact, but quickly tried to fight back as his gun flew from his hands. He managed to land a few punches on Harvey, and each time he started to get free he'd reach for his gun, but Harvey was bigger than him, and he easily got the advantage. Cochise was making a huge fuss now, rearing back and stamping her hooves on the ground as the two men fought. Harvey finally managed to hit Joe hard enough to leave him winded, and he quickly made a grab for Joe's gun.

   "I hate to do this to ya kid. You are a good kid, I really liked you. Like a younger brother." Harvey said, walking over and stepping on Joe's arm.

   "Why Harvey? Why?" Joe asked and Harvey laughed.

   "I'm sorry, did I say I liked you?" Harvey hissed, laughing maniacally. "I guess I'm just too used to pretending. Truth is, I never liked you. Not even a bit." he spat, putting more pressure on Joe's right arm as he spoke. Joe cried out in pain, wishing his father and brothers were there. "See, I've been working on this damn ranch for years, watching as your father and brothers let you get away with everything, gave you the whole world even. Why that just boils my blood." Harvey hissed, and this time the pressure he applied caused Joe's bones to snap. Joe screamed in agony, wishing Hop Sing hadn't had to leave that day. Harvey just laughed, stepping off the broken arm and roughly pulling Joe up by his shirt. "I finally got tired of pretending, so I decided I'd get rid of my problems once and for all. If only you had come back a moment later, that horse probably would've burned to death, and you along with it." he said, laughing as Joe moaned. He dropped him to the ground again, walking over to Cochise. "This damn horse nearly gave me away, so I'm gonna have to kill her too. Shame really. She's a beautiful horse. I might've stolen her instead if you'd died in that fire." he said, aiming for Cochise. Joe's pain suddenly disappeared, replaced with a red hot rage as he saw the gun aimed at his horse. Mustering all his strength, he pushed himself off the ground and tackled Harvey, wrestling with him for the gun. He managed to grab hold, but in the struggle, the trigger was pulled and the gun went off. Time stood still and Joe watched as the life left Harvey's eyes. "Done in by a kid like you." Harvey whispered, shaking his head. He laughed, walking a few steps away before falling down on the ground. Joe fell back against the post Cochise was tied to, exhaustion and pain hitting him hard as the adrenaline rushed out of him.

   "Joe!" Ben cried as he and his other two sons came riding up.

   "Pa." Joe said weakly, starting to fall as he finally gave in to his pain.

   "Easy son, easy." Ben said as he grabbed him.

   "It was Harvey. I had to shoot him Pa. He was gonna kill Cochise, and me too." Joe whispered.

   Ben looked over, noting the dead man on the ground. "It's alright now son, it's over." Ben whispered, and Joe lost consciousness. 

* * *

   Later that evening after the doctor had set Joe's arm and put it in a sling, Joe sneaked out of his room and out to where the horses were. Cochise had finally relaxed after Harvey was gone, and she was letting people deal with her again. Repairs to the barn had been finished in the afternoon, and she was back in her usual spot. Joe stopped in front of her stall, smiling as Cochise lifted her head and looked at him, letting out a soft nicker. He slowly entered the stall, holding out his left hand to her. "Hey Cooch." he whispered as she approached him, calling her by his nickname for her for the first time since she'd injured him on accident. "Guess it wasn't me you were scared of after all, huh girl?" he said softly, standing there as she nuzzled his hand. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you. You were just tryin' to warn me and I was too busy feelin' sorry for myself, I didn't even notice." he whispered, guilt flooding him. Cochise nickered again, putting her head to his chest and letting out a soft snort, as if she understood her. "I guess that means I'm forgiven then." he said, grinning. Cochise stamped a hoof and bumped her head against his chest again, as if to tell him she had forgiven him. "I promise, I'll never leave you again, for as long as I'm alive." he whispered, putting his head against hers. "I love you girl." he said. And he was whole again, finding that the bond between a boy and his mare was truly an unbreakable one. 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Finally finished writing this! I hope you enjoyed reading it and please feel free to leave a comment!! Expect more Bonanza fanfictions from me in the future!!


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